I Have Been Waiting For You
by RestoringBones
Summary: 3 months after defeating Zeref, Natsu and Lucy started dating but so far it has a rocky start. After taking a job, Lucy decides to express her worries to Natsu but he goes off to fight a bandit and leaves with Happy. Down the road, they are caught by mages from a dark guild. Will Natsu and Lucy resolve their relationship or will it falter as they encounter a new threat?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, fellow readers! I hope you like my new story which I am excited about and thank for reading _Remember me._ This will somewhat be like a sequel to _Remember me_ but the only thing that remains in this story will be the new character from the previous story and defeating Zeref. Hope you like the story and please leave a review when you have a chance. :) **

_"Never miss an opportunity to show your love, especially to those close to you, because we are always at our most cautious with them for fear of being hurt."- Paulo Coelho_

 **3 Months later**

Regular Story Line: Fairy Tail Guild

After Zeref's downfall, the guild has been feeling more at ease since they have acquired three new members: Kaden, Shawn, and Adora. More good news arrives when Natsu and Lucy have started to date and just made three months. However, Adora has been keeping a watchful eye on Natsu and hoping whatever he has growing inside has stopped or disappeared. Adora shifts her eyes to see Lucy, Levy, Cana, Wendy, and Carla sitting next to each other and they seem to be having fun. A soft bang on the table shifts her attention to Kaden as he eyes her tension.

"I don't like it when you're quiet." Kaden says as Adora looks at him shyly.

"I'm thinking" Adora confesses as Kaden sighs. Shawn jumps onto the table then eyes Adora.

"I don't like that either because when you think, you get anxious and when you get anxious, you start to freak out." Kaden says worriedly as Adora extends her hand towards Shawn and pets him gently.

"I'm just worried about Natsu, I saw something inside of him and you know how much I hate not knowing anything." Adora confesses as she stops petting Shawn and frowns when she stops.

"Must be serious for you to freak out like this." Kaden whispers as he doesn't want the other members to worry.

"Could be life threatening." Adora admits as she glances back at Lucy smiling with her friends.

"Well, here comes your knight. Let's get this training over with so we can do a job." Kaden grunts as he gets up from his seat when he sees Gildarts come closer to them.

"Let's get this out of the way so we can make it back by noon; I have a lunch date with my daughter." Gildarts says proudly as he looks at Cana.

"One day." Kaden mutters as he smiles when he watches Cana laughing with her friends. Gildarts, Adora, Kaden, and Adora leave the guild but the nagging feeling inside Adora's stomach hasn't left.

Lucy, Levy, Wendy, and Carla are enjoying a nice chat while Lucy waits for Natsu so they can go on a job. Even though they have started dating, Natsu has been treating Lucy the same.

"So how has it been dating Natsu, Lucy?" Cana ask with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, is he a good kisser?" Levy ask as Lucy blushes

"Oh, so he is, huh?" Cana adds

"Actually we haven't done that yet…" Lucy confesses as her face turns bright red.

"You're joking, he's always has his hands all over you and probably has invaded your personal space a bunch of times." Cana marvels as she learns about Lucy and Natsu's relationship.

"Maybe he's nervous." Wendy adds as she gives Lucy a soft smile.

"We haven't even held hands yet or gone out on a date." Lucy sighs

"Have you talked about it with him?" Levy ask

"I have brought it up but he just changes the subject or overlooks it." Lucy answers

"I never thought he was this dense." Cana notes as Carla nods her head.

"He could just be nervous like Wendy said earlier." Carla mentions as Lucy brings her head down.

"He probably still sees me like a friend still." Lucy mutters in embarrassment.

"Give it time, Lucy. You and Natsu have been friends for a long time so it might take time for him to adjust." Levy advises as she rubs Lucy's back.

Natsu staggers inside the guild then as he is about to fall, Happy grabs him from behind. Natsu was walking fine earlier but something made him lose balance and he doesn't even drink which confuses Natsu.

"Glad I caught you or Lucy would so laugh at you." Happy teases as he helps Natsu get his footing. Natsu heads towards the job request board to find something for him and his team. He picks out one job then heads towards Lucy with a smile.

"Well speak of the devil." Cana teases as Natsu places the poster in front of Lucy

"I found the perfect job and look at the reward!" Natsu exclaims as Lucy reads the poster. She notices that the reward can be split evenly among her group and have enough for her rent this month.

"Sounds great, so all we have to do is take care of a few bandits." Lucy announces as Natsu smiles.

"Yeah, piece of cake!" Natsu exclaims as Wendy and Carla get up from the table then go to get Gray and Erza from across the guild hall.

As Team Natsu leaves the guild, someone watches them from a far and is able to take a glimpse of the poster in Natsu's hand. The man smiles then starts to head back to his vehicle then drives off at top speed.

* * *

Regular Story Line: Arcane Eclipse Guild

A tall curvaceous woman sits on a red and black throne as she eyes each crossed out picture of all the mages she and her comrades have killed. However one picture is untouched as she marvels at Natsu's picture then smiles when she sees a small teenage girl walk into the room.

"Drake has returned and he saw them leave the guild. They're heading towards Hargeon Town." The girl announces as the women gets up from her throne. Her red heels clack softly against the concrete floor as she approaches the girl.

"Thank you, Natara." The woman acknowledges as she caresses the girls cheek then smiles. The woman and Natara leave the room then encounter two gentlemen. One has snake like features while the other has fine features.

"You were certain it was him, Drake?" The woman questions as Drake nods his head.

"Yes." Drake answers as he stares at the woman.

"Alright, you and Achilles grab him and whoever he is with. I want to send the guild a nice thank you gift." The woman smirks as she eyes the two men.

"As you wish." The other young man says as the woman red lips form a smile.

"No need to be formal, Achilles. We're not that far apart age wise." The woman laughs.

"I assume you want them alive and mobile?" Drake ask as he crosses his muscular arms causing his snake tattoo to look bigger than usual.

"Alive, yes but I'll let you have fun with the last part. Natara, would you like to go with them?" The woman ask as Natara avoids her eyes. The woman bends down then places her slim finger under her chin and directs her attention to her eyes.

"You're magic and abilities have improved immensely, Tesoro. Go and show the world that nothing can stop you." The woman says with a soft tone

"Alright, Bellona." Natara smiles as she hugs Bellona.

"Protect each other no matter what." Bellona commands as she gets up. Natara runs towards Drake and Achilles then smiles wide

"Don't worry we will." Achilles reassures as the group leaves.

Bellona then turns back to her room with the pictures of the mages and goes to grab a glove with pointy fingers. She holds the glove to her chest then puts it on her hand and walks towards Natsu's picture.

"See you soon, Salamandra." Bellona whispers as grazes her finger at it.

* * *

Regular Story Line: Hargeon Town

Lucy helps Natsu overcome his motion sickness when they leave the train station while Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla and Happy watch the couple from afar to see if anything happens. Lucy tries to grab Natsu hand to take advantage of the opportunity but he moves his hand behind his head then gain back his composure.

"Something on your mind, Luce?" Natsu ask as he looks at Lucy.

"No, not really." Lucy answer back as she watches Natsu walking next to her normally.

"This is painful to watch." Happy blurts out quietly

"Agree." Gray says

"Give them time. These kind of things take time to develop." Carla adds

"I hope so for their sake." Wendy admits as she watches Lucy and Natsu.

"Can we talk?" Lucy ask

"What about?" Natsu questions as Lucy lets out a deep breath. She sees the crowd of people hiding behind certain stands or heading home to avoid a confrontation.

"I'm I doing something wrong? It seems like you still see me as a friend even though we're dating." Lucy admits as she feels a heavy weight from her shoulders.

"Nothing's wrong, everything has been great." Natsu says but Happy cringes from his words.

"Bad move." Happy whispers

"Maybe to you." Lucy corrects as Natsu stops in his track and looks at her with concern.

"What are you getting at?" Natsu questions

"I sense tension." Erza comments as she looks at Natsu and Lucy watching each other intensely.

"I feel like you don't see me as a girlfriend but as your friend still. I tried to talk about it but you never seem to pay attention or change subjects." Lucy admits as Natsu turns his attention to a loud commotion ahead.

"You picked a bad time to talk about this." Natsu adds as one bandit runs towards them with a sharp knife in his hand. Natsu charges at the bandit then punches him hard across the cheek.

"Happy let's go!" Natsu exclaims as he runs towards the commotion.

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaims as he follows Natsu.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouts as Natsu turns his head.

"We'll discuss this later, Lucy!" Natsu exclaims as he starts to run.

"You always say that but never do!" Lucy argues as she fumes.

"Come back, idiot! We need to have a plan." Gray shouts but Natsu is already ahead of them.

"Go to the crowd and take them down." Erza say as she requips to Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"Capricorn Star Dress." Lucy announces as she extract Capricorn's gold key then a white emits from her body. Once the light leaves, Lucy's hair is in a tight bun with a black bow while she wears a white blouse with a black vest on top of it. She has a medium length skirt that matches her black heels. She has a pair of black sunglasses with Capricorn's zodiac sign at the side.

"Ready, Wendy?" Lucy ask as Wendy nods her head. The two run towards the commotion while Gray and Era take a different path when they notice a pair of bandits harass a woman and child.

Natsu has already beaten five bandits as he continues to run to see someone running into an alley way.

"Let's flank him." Natsu states as Happy nods his head. Natsu takes one end while Happy takes another. A man with long brown hair with fine facial features is wearing a long black robe concealing his outfit as he creates a copy of Natsu and Happy as they both follow the duo.

Natsu runs until he sees Happy in front of him and stops in his tracks.

"He changed position, Natsu." Happy comments as he leads the way while Natsu follows him. At the other side, Happy encounters Natsu as cocks his head for Happy to follow him.

Happy takes Natsu away from the town but Natsu stops in his tracks as he notices that he's away from the town. The town is slowly returning back to its peaceful state as he hears some bandits shouting for backup.

"You sure he went this way?" Natsu ask but Happy shrugs his shoulder.

As Natsu opens his mouth, he feels a heavy weight coiling around his legs and falls to the ground from now having them bind together. The metal chain continues to coil around his body until it reaches his neck then starts to squeeze. He starts to feel lightheaded as he watches Happy disappear in front of him. He tries to break free from the chain, but each time he struggles, the chain squeezes tighter.

Footstep from behind cause Natsu to turn her head partially to catch a glimpse of a fair skin man with muscular arms approaching me. The man has short black hair with white streaks. The man is wearing a sleeveless shirt which makes Natsu focus on the big purple snake tattoo on the man's lower arm and it seems to extend farther. His black boots are in front of Natsu as he gives a cocky smile.

"This is gonna hurt just a tad." Drake says as he tugs the chain harder as it squeezes Natsu's throat. Slowly, Natsu drifts off to sleep and loses consciousness. Drake picks up Natsu then starts to head towards a magic four wheeler vehicle.

"Was it difficult?" Achilles ask as he ties his brown hair in a low pony tail. His black robe flows freely as he loosens it a bit.

"Your illusion helped. Without it, he would have been a problem." Drake admits as he places Natsu in the back seat.

Happy follows Natsu to the end of the town and notice a teenage girl with medium length auburn hair staring at them with her pale white eyes. She opens her mouth and lets out a heavenly tone that is making Happy sleepy.

"How come you're not sleepy?" Happy ask as Natsu smiles then disappears. Happy closes his eyes slowly then falls sleep immediately. Natara walks over to Happy and picks him up gently.

"Sleep well." Natara whispers as she walks back to her comrades. The walk wasn't long to the vehicle and she is greeted by her comrades. She places the cat on top of Natsu's lap then enters the car.

"Great work, Natara." Drake acknowledges as Natara blushes. The moment Drake gets into the vehicle, Achilles starts the car and make their way back to their guild.

 **Tesoro means treasure in Italian. Hope you liked the chapter! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Is This Real?

Regular Story Line: Arcane Eclipse Guild

The town is quiet the moment as Achilles, Drake, and Natara walk towards a tall stone guild covered with vines by the side. The stone is chipping slowly due to years of erosion and neglect from the members. The guild looms over the town like an eerie dark shadow. There's barely any windows except for two small one at the front of the guild, but they're dirty and cracked. When Natara, Drake, and Achilles walk inside the guild, the town resumes to its cheerful self.

No one questions the sleeping teen Achilles was carrying over his shoulder or when Natara was carrying the sleeping exceed. The town rather turn the other cheek than to question their motives. The town knows the dark history with the guild and they rather not be on their bad side. However, the inside of the guild is worse off than the outside. The darkness welcomes the group as they walk over broken glass on the floor.

The guild isn't furnished but it didn't matter to them since they don't want to give their guest a welcoming feeling. Achilles walks toward an entry way then heads towards to a flight of stairs to reveal a wooden door, he reaches for it then opens it slowly. A loud _creak_ resonates around the guild as he enters the room; inside the room is a dark cell staring at him. The bars are rusty as well as the lock, but the lock is still sturdy. Achilles carefully opens the cell then grabs Natsu's clothes and tosses him roughly inside the cell.

Natara walks next into the cell and places Happy gently on the ground then walks back to Achilles. Her pale white eyes glow brightly in the darkness as she analyzes Achilles.

"You should be more tactful to defenseless people. You shouldn't treat them like that when they're vulnerable." Natara lectures quietly as Achilles locks the cell.

"I apologize. How are you so kind after all that has happened to you?" Achilles ask as he looks at Natara.

At a young age, Natara was stricken by diseases causing her to lose her sight. She had no one and roamed the streets trying to get by until she met a traveler who promised her that he would teach her about magic and how she can unlock it. However, he told her that in order to achieve it, you must make a sacrifice. She gave him money and some of her valuables then snatched it from her and fled. Anger took over her as she let out a frightening shriek that caused the traveler, who turned out to be a con artist, to collapse on the floor due to his heart stopping.

"I learned from my mistakes, Achilles and I promised myself to become stronger like you, Bellona, and Drake." Natara vows as she gives Achilles a warm smile.

"At the rate you're going you will be the strongest one of everyone here." Achilles confesses as he and her walk up the stairs.

"Thank you. I just don't want to bring you and the others down." Natara says sadly as Achilles places his hand on her shoulder. They both stop as Achilles bends down to see her eyes.

"Don't think like that ever again. You were never and never will be the weakest link." Achilles says softly as Natara smiles brightly, which he hasn't done for a long time. They both leave the room leaving Natsu and Happy sleeping in the cell.

* * *

Regular Story Line: Hargeon Town

Wendy takes down two bandits then glances at Lucy punching and kicking down each bandit with ease. Her black sunglasses hide her eyes, but Wendy knows that Lucy is still angry at Natsu. As Lucy takes down the last bandit with a swift kick to his left side, she turns back to her blue skirt that matches with her sleeveless blue shirt with her dark knee length boots. Her hair is back to being in a long side ponytail as she looks at Wendy's worried face.

"She seems angry." Wendy whispers to Carla

"That's an understatement" Carla whispers as they see Gray and Erza walking with two unconscious bandits over their shoulders. Erza and Gray place them on the ground then look at Lucy and Wendy.

"Well that seems about it." Erza announces

"Not much trouble but stubborn to quit." Gray sighs as he rolls his shoulders back to loosen up.

"Find Natsu and Happy while I collect the reward." Erza demands as she starts to find the owner of the poster.

"Where could that loud mouth idiot be?" Gray mutters as he and Lucy start to search for Natsu and Happy.

* * *

Regular Story Line: Arcane Eclipse

Natsu slowly opens his eyes to see two Happys staring at him with wide eyes. He blinks his eyes a few times to later on get one Happy staring at him with a smile. Natsu's head is pounding from landing on the concrete floor as he staggers to get up from the ground. He uses the concrete wall to help him get up.

"Didn't think it would take you so long to recover from a nap?" Happy says as Natsu gives him a sly smile.

"Where are we?" Natsu ask as he finally gets his balance.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Happy answers as they hear heels clacking against the concrete floor.

Natsu catches a glimpse of strands of long blonde hair flowing. Natsu excitedly runs to the bars and is excited to see Lucy is okay. However, when he looks at the woman, it wasn't Lucy. Natsu gets away from the bar as he senses a dark presences from the woman. He eyes her pointy gloved hand and starts to fear if she is going to harm his friends.

"The famous Salamander." Bellona whispers as she eyes Natsu with admiration.

"Who are you and what have you done with the rest of my friends?!" Natsu questions angrily as the woman's amber eyes sparkle with excitement.

"You and the exceed are the only one here." Bellona answers

"What do you want from us then?" Natsu ask

"You have built a name for yourself over the years from defeating formidable enemies to increasing your power. You might be one of my most difficult enemies, Natsu." Bellona answers with a chilling smile

"If a fight is what you want then I'll gladly give you one." Natsu blurts as he spews a stream of fire from his mouth aiming towards Bellona. A dark purple aura emits from her body as the fire instantly disappears.

"Where did the fire go?" Happy questions as Natsu sees that Bellona is unharmed.

"It's not wise to use that kind of move in close quarters." Bellona warns as a dark purple flame appears in front of her.

She shoots the fire start at Natsu as he attempts to absorb the flame, but his body won't allow it. The dark flame begins to envelop both him and Happy away. Happy watches the dark purple flames singe Natsu's clothes then slowly the flame disappears from his eyes.

"I couldn't eat it." Natsu grunts as he glares at Bellona.

"Your reckless behavior is bound to kill you and your friends soon if you don't think clearly." Bellona lectures as Natsu races towards the rusty bars and glares at her.

"How about you let me out of the cell and we can have a real fight." Natsu barks but Bellona looks at him coldly. Footstep resonate from the room as Bellona looks at Drake and Achilles enter the room.

"Decided to see the show?" Bellona questions

"Wouldn't miss this for the world." Drake quips as he looks at Natsu. Anger flows inside Natsu's veins as he brings his head closer to the rusty bars.

"I will get out of here and turn you all to ash!" Natsu shouts as Drake releases a long chain then aims it at Happy. The chain coils around his body quickly as Natsu races towards him trying to pry him free but it only tightens the bond.

"LET HIM GO!" Natsu shouts as Happy begins to whimper.

"Finish him." Bellona commands as dark red aura emits from the chain. Happy stops struggling and stays still.

"I can't move…" Happy whispers as the chain uncoils.

"Paralyzes the muscles, given his size it won't take long to reach his lungs." Drake adds as Natsu glares at him.

He runs back to them as he grabs Bellona by the arm and slams her close to the rusty bars. He feels a numbing feeling in his chest as he slowly lets go of her. He looks down to see a sharp object penetrate his chest. Bellona retracts her finger from Natsu's chest then admires the blood tint on her glove. Natsu clutches his wound then glares at her.

"Think before you act!" Bellona warns as Achilles opens the cell and enters inside.

"We might be needing this." Achilles says as he removes Natsu's scarf then touches his forehead. A white light emits from his forehead as Natsu begins to turn pale.

"Natsu…." Happy whispers as he watches his friend soon collapse on the floor in a cold sweat. Achilles lifts Happy up gently then wraps him with Natsu's scarf.

"This shoud make a decent thank you gift." Achilles quips as he leaves Natsu sprawled on the floor. Achilles leaves the cell then locks it again as he and Drake leave Bellona alone with Natsu.

"As long as you don't use your magic, you'll live. Each time you use it, your magic will start to disappear and my magic will take over you." Bellona says as Natsu looks at her with wide eyes.

"If you survive Achilles' Mental Purgatory, we will have our match. Bellona says as she leaves the room.

The darkness looms over Natsu as he scraps the concrete floor with his nails hoping he can escape. It's a constant loop he's witnessing over and over in his head; his friends in danger and he can't move to help them. He feels a soft touch on his shoulder and turns around to see Lucy smiling. He grabs her arm but her skin starts to blister then excessive burn marks take over her body. Her white skin turns red then her body slowly turns to ash as Natsu tries to hold her before her body starts to become to ashes, she disappears.

"This isn't real. This isn't real." Natsu whispers as he places his hands on his head trying to collect himself. A dark shadow walks towards him then smiles wide.

"Real or not, you won't survive this." The Shadow leaps onto Natsu then disappears.

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: You're Mine

**Hope you're enjoying the story so far. :)**

Regular Story Line: Arcane Eclipse

Achilles wraps a sleeping Happy inside Natsu's scarf but leave a small opening for him to breathe. Bellona sits down in one of the old chairs as she stares at the bare stone wall. Her mind wonders as she follows Achilles with her eyes then smiles.

"You know where it is?" Bellona ask with a worried tone.

"Yes, don't worry." Achilles answers as he walks out of the guild. Drake soon emerges from the dark room with a smile on his face.

"It's hilarious to see him writhing trying to get out. I think after he is done he will be what you wanted, an animal." Drake comments as Bellona smile wide showing her pearly white teeth.

"Raw anger at it's prime." Bellona smiles as her amber eyes sparkle.

"Seems like Achilles' new spell worked." Bellona adds as she gets up from her chair then walks towards the dirty cracked window.

"Think you can beat this one?" Drake ask as Bellona shrugs her shoulders.

"Let's hope so, a person like him tends not to back down even when they're at Death's door." Bellona says

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Drake ask with a sly smile

"Is it sick of me to watch strong men crawl on their knees begging for their life? Is it sick of me to watch grown men crying like children when they their pride being crushed in front of them?" Bellona ask as she turns her head to face Drake.

"Sick? No. Twisted? Maybe." Drake answers as Bellona gives a soft laugh.

"I prefer the latter, love." Bellona says with a wink

"Can you give Natara her training today? I'm going to start testing our new prey." Bellona adds as she heads towards the door.

"Anything for you." Drake answers

"Don't worry, you can practice your new techniques when I'm done." Bellona reassures as Drake gets twinkle in his eyes of the excitement that awaits him.

Bellona walks down the stairs to Natsu's cell and watches from afar Natsu placing his hands on his head then slowly turns his eyes to Bellona. Natsu gets up then dashes towards her then slams his head hard on the rusty metal bar. Bellona takes note of the anger in his eyes and feels a chill run down her spine; she hasn't had that feeling in a long time.

"You killed them?! What have you done to Happy!" Natsu barks as he presses his head hard against the rusty metal bars.

"Killed who, love? The cat is being taken care of." Bellona questions as she watches the toll Achilles spell took on Natsu.

"My friends!" Natsu shouts angrily as his forehead begins to redden due to the pressure against the rusty metal bar.

"This is all an illusion, Darling. Concentrate hard and tell yourself that this is fake." Bellona instructs as Natsu closes his eyes hoping to get rid of this nightmare.

As Natsu opens his eyes, he see all the images of his friends dying or mortally wounded is now fading. He loosen his grip from the l bars then back away from Bellona. He eyes her cautiously as he can't shake the menacing vibe she is giving off.

"Isn't it cruel how compassion can make someone strong and weak?" Bellona ask to break the silence. Natsu stays quiet as he thinks about her words.

"Lost at words, Dear? A man capable of wiping out the strongest guild and here you are quivering like a child." Bellona lectures

"You have no right to say any of that. What I saw can easily bring any one to tears." Natsu growls as he keeps his distance from Bellona.

"Pathetic, know when to use your emotions or you will kill yourself and your friends. Maybe even someone you deeply care for." Bellona says sternly

"Watch your mouth." Natsu warns as he glares at Bellona

"Ah, I struck a nerve. Who is this Lucy person, Salamander?" Bellona questions as Natsu's eyes widen with fear and anger.

"You lay a land on her and I'll turn you to ash." Natsu threatens

"Then do it." Bellona taunts. Natsu is taken back by her words as Natsu releases a stream of fire from his mouth but it is absorbed by Bellona.

The same purple aura emits from her body as his flames are disappearing from his eyes. Suddenly a sharp pain in Natsu's chest brings him to his knees as he glances up at Bellona. She gives him a sly smile as she releases his flames back at him. The deep purple flames hits Natsu with a strong force knocking him to the ground.

"Haven't you forgotten about our earlier encounter?" Bellona ask as Natsu slowly gets up from the ground.

"Each time you use your magic, a toxin will be released inside your body. Overdo it and you'll be dead." Bellona warns as Natsu slams his hand on the concrete floor then glares at Bellona.

"I wouldn't be so cocky. Once I get out of this cage, you'll turn to ash." Natsu growls as he gets up from the ground.

"You wish to fight me? Fine, if you win then I will let you go." Bellona comments

"And if I lose?" Natsu ask as Bellona chuckles

"Then your nightmare will come true." Bellona adds as she opens the lock. The cell is now wide open as Natsu tries to study Bellona's intentions

"Don't make a lady wait." Bellona says as Natsu walks towards

Bellona lend him her hand but Natsu swats it away as she leads the way. Natsu worries what they did to Happy and why they needed his scarf. The stairs give out an eerie _creak_ as they both walk up in silence. Bellona senses the mood as they reach the door but before she opens it, she turns her body slowly to meet Natsu's eyes.

"As I mentioned earlier, the cat is being taken care of." Bellona whispers as he places her pointy glove near Natsu's throat then glides it upwards until she's under his chin.

"Just open the door already." Natsu demands as Bellona turns around then opens the door.

Natsu expected a bright light to engulf them but is greeted by dim lighting as he scans the dark guild. Broken glass on the floor and old furniture show signs of neglect as they walk to another door but this one wasn't a wooden door like the others, its metal. The metal door opened easily as they both enter the room to see a wide space in front of them. The room gives an eerie feeling like this whole guild and an unsettling scent filled Natsu's nose. The smell is overwhelming as it occurred to him its blood, someone died here not long ago which sent a chill down his spine.

Bellona walks into the room and turn on the light inside the room. The bright light causes Natsu to close his eyes quickly from the unexpected stimulus. As he opens his eyes he sees some discarded clothes or pieces of broken weapons on the floor. He wondered why this was here then a troubling thought came up.

"Is this a…" Natsu says as he's face turns white.

"I'm a collector at heart, feast your eyes at all the brave mages that took a part of this battle." Bellona announces as Natsu's eyes widen to see blood stained clothes, ripped paintings of a families, and broken weapons on the floor.

"You're a monster." Natsu whispers as he glances at Bellona.

"That makes two of us." Bellona quips as Natsu dashes towards her and attempts to lands a hard punch across her cheek, but Bellona dodges.

"Control your emotions." Bellona lectures sternly as Natsu's blood begins to boil.

"I am not a monster!" Natsu shouts as he ignites his hand on fire then forms a fist. He hits Bellona's left side but the pain in his body came back again. He grit his teeth then glares at Bellona.

"Is that what you tell yourself each day? Your power is something no mere mortal can handle." Bellona counters as she collects her composure. He knows that he is E.N.D but he wasn't going to let a stranger tell him what she deems him as.

"Let see if a mere _mortal_ like you can handle this." Natsu retorts as he swiftly ignites his elbow on fire then strikes it at her face until he feels a sharp pain inside him intensify then notices her gloved finger in his chest.

"You're mine." Bellona whispers as she retracts her gloved finger then smiles.

As the battle rages on, something inside Natsu is growing faster and faster as each minute passes by. The toxin in his body is rapidly spreading throughout his body causing his body to undergo more stress than ever. Each strike causes him to grit his teeth but he isn't going to back down. He wants to make things up and apologize for everything he has done, but if he doesn't make it out of this alive, then how will he make it up to her?

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you have a chance, please leave a review. Hope you have a great night/evening/day.**


	4. Chapter 4: Team Natsu and Company

**Hope you enjoy the chapter. :)**

Outline: Guild

Achilles is walking down the street towards the guild while carrying Happy in his arms. As he gets closer to the guild his excitement builds up as he is about to end this job once and for all. Achilles stand in front of the wooden double door then gently places Happy on the ground while thinking of Natara's words, _You should be more tactful to defenseless people. You shouldn't treat them like that when they're vulnerable_. He gets up and sees no one is paying him any attention. Achilles turns away from the guild as he notices a group walking towards him.

He sees a man with dark blue hair, a woman with scarlet hair, a woman with blonde hair, a white cat like the one he dropped off, and short blue haired child. He feels the excitement again as he imagines the look on their faces when they find their present. However, his excitement makes him unaware of his surroundings as he bumps into Gray.

"Sorry, I should be more careful." Achilles apologizes as he avoids Gray's eyes.

"It's not your fault, don't sweat it." Gray says as he gives Achilles a half smile then continues to walk towards his friends.

As Achilles begins to walk away, a sudden shriek resonates from behind as a wide smile creeps upon his face. Lucy gently picks up Happy from the ground and sees that he is alive but in immense pain.

"That's Natsu's scarf…." Wendy mutters as her throat begins to swell up from fear.

Gray turns around to see if anyone is behind them but no one strikes him as threatening. Lucy rushes into the guild carrying Happy in her arms with a worried look on her face. If Happy is in this condition, she can only imagine how bad Natsu must be. Wendy follows Lucy as they find a nearby booth as Lucy places him on the table. Happy is barely moving and even Carla's presence isn't doing anything to him.

"Hang in there Happy. Wendy reassures as she removes a flap of the scarf. A piece of paper gracefully falls on the floor without anyone noticing.

Wendy places her hands on top of Happy then a light blue aura emits from her hands as Happy's distressed face slowly becomes at ease. Erza notices a piece of paper on the floor as she bends down then grabs it in her hands. Her eyes widen with fear then anger as she crushes the note in her hands.

"Are you aright, Erza?" Mira ask as she senses a tense vibe from Erza

"They have the audacity to do this to our friends. No, to our family." Erza answers.

"What's going on?" Kaden ask as he, Adora, Gildarts, and Cana sit in a nearby booth.

Their first job with Gildarts went well as Gildarts decides that they're both ready to go on solo jobs. Erza gets up from the ground as feeling sick to her stomach. She can't barely feel her legs as she struggles to stand up.

"We would love to thank Fairy Tail for giving us such a lovely gift, Natsu Dragneel. As a thank you we leave you something to remember him by, if the cat survives the trip. In addition, if you follow this address in the note, you will be able to see him before he meets his demise- Arcane Eclipse." Erza reads as she looks up to see her fellow guild members with wide eyes.

"We need to get him." Happy says weakly as he stands up slowly.

"Happy, please sit down." Wendy urges as Happy places his paw in front of her then looks at his friends.

"He doesn't have much time." Happy begs as tears well up in his eyes as he replays the scene of Natsu sprawled on the floor wondering if the man with his hair in a ponytail did something to him or if it was the toxin.

"What do you mean, Happy?" Lucy ask as she worries about Natsu especially the way they ended things.

"She has these pointed gloves that if she touches you with them then every time you use your magic a toxin will spread inside your body." Happy explains as he sees Natsu's pained expression as Bellona extracts her finger from his chest.

"We're going now!" Gray shouts as Juvia's eyes light up

"I'm going with you to help." Juvia announces as she grabs his arm. The sudden contact makes Gray jump a bit then looks down to see that she is worried about him.

"Alright." Gray says

"Take these two with you." Gildarts announces as he points at Adora and Kaden.

"Yes!" Kaden exclaims happily as Adora jumps from his movements.

"Consider this another training. Besides, they might help if things get out of hand." Gildarts adds as Kaden and Adora nod in unison. They both get up and walk towards Gray _._

"I have a special technique for that spell of hers." Kaden says with a sly smile.

While her friends start planning, Lucy can't help but worry about Natsu and if he is okay. It kills her knowing how they ended their conversation. She feels a small tug on her sleeve then looks down to see Happy weakly looking at her.

"He was never upset with you." Happy reassures as Lucy feels a single tear roll down her face.

"Natsu cares a lot about you, Lucy." Happy adds as he gives her a small smile. A warm touch on her shoulder makes her turn her head to see Erza staring at her with determination.

"We're heading out." Erza says as Lucy nods her head.

Team Natsu with Juvia, Adora and Kaden make their way to the train station with worrisome thoughts about this infamous guild. Erza or Makarov have heard of them since the council kept this as a secret from them. However, rumors about this guild makes the group a bit uneasy since one of the rumors was that they kill strong mages for sport. As they make it to the train station, Wendy walks towards Lucy with Carla in her arms with a soft smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Lucy, Natsu won't let a guild get away that easily." Wendy reassures as Lucy smiles

"Yeah, let's hope he does what he does best." Lucy smiles

"What's that?" Wendy ask

"Over doing it." Lucy says as Wendy lets out a soft chuckle. The train stops in front of the group as they each enter one by one then find a seat inside. Juvia sits next to Gray while Kaden sits next to Juvia. Erza sits with Adora, Wendy and Carla and Lucy sits with Happy, who is sleeping on her lap.

"Hold on, Natsu." Lucy thought as the train begins to move.

 **Will Team Natsu make it in time to help Natsu fight out Bellona and her guild?**


	5. Chapter 5: Sleep Well, Salamander

Regular story line: Arcane Eclipse

Natsu staggers to keep his balance as he stares at Bellona with her hair tattered with sweat and blood. Her pristine fair skin is bruised and cut from the previous attack but her eyes are alive with excitement as she watches her opponent breathing heavily. However, Natsu's vision is not helping him right now as he starts to see two images of Bellona in front of him. The longer he concentrates on her, the harder it is for him to focus. Bellona walks towards Natsu with anger and excitement as she begins to look deep into his eyes.

"You're not even trying are you?" Bellona questions as she analyzes her opponent.

"Yet I still managed to hit you a couple of times." Natsu teases as he eyes her burned arms and cuts on her face. Bellona emits a green light from her hand as she places it on Natsu's forehead.

"Let's now were going to have fun" Bellona says as she forms a purple sphere in front of her then aims it at Natsu's Abdomen causing him to groan in pain.

Natsu slowly gets up again ignoring the pain in his legs and arms as he dashes towards Bellona using his flames to boost his speed. He pins her against the wall as he ignites his fist on fire then punches her across the face. The toxin is spreading faster inside Natsu's body as he draws back from her. Natsu recoils in pain from his attack as he glares at Bellona with anger.

"I'm not back down that easily." Natsu grunts as he backs awat from her then cradles his hand. Bellona leans towards Natsu with a smile upon her face.

"I would be utterly disappointed if you did." Bellona whispers as Natsu lets out a faint cough then widens his eyes in horror to see specks of blood on Bellona's face.

"Oh, dearie." Bellona says as she licks the speck of blood off her lower lip.

Natsu begins to spew fire from his mouth as his legs give out causing him to collapse on the ground. The fall feels like if he fell from a high building then landing on top of a bed of knives. His insides are killing him and his coordination is going downhill. Suddenly his ear perk up as he hears footsteps from afar and forces himself to get back up.

"I can't let them here." Natsu whispers as he releases his final attack hoping it would end this fight.

Bellona swiftly moves out of his field of vision then quickly appears behind him. She forms another purple sphere then aims it at Natsu's back, he gapes his mouth wide from the sudden shock and pain. He grits his teeth together then turns his body towards her and firmly grasps her shoulder tight. He sinks his finger in deep and releases Fire Dragon King's Roar.

* * *

Regular Story Line: Station

The group leaves the station determined to get Natsu back safe and sound. Throughout the train ride, they formulated their plan on how to retrieve Natsu without causing much damage to the guild or the town. However, it would be easier to defeat an army of demons than trying not to destroy the town. Erza stops suddenly at the entrance of the station then looks at the group.

"Kaden, where's Shawn?" Adora whispers as she notices the exceed is no where to be found.

"Ah, I tried to find him before we left but I couldn't find him anywhere. He must be napping somewhere in the woods or something." Kaden answers as Adora nods. An intense aura emits from Erza as she watches her fellow teammates.

"You remember the plan?" Erza ask as she glares at everyone.

"From what Happy told us so far we have a man who uses chain magic, a leader who can revert your attack, a girl that has sound magic, and someone who could do illusion magic." Lucy answers as she is itching to run to the guild already but she can't be hasty.

"You want Gray and me to attack the leader because I have a requip that can cause someone to not be able to use their magic which provide Gray ample time and flexibility for a long range attack." Kaden explains as Erza gives him a reassuring nod.

"How much time do we have?" Gray ask as he looks at Kaden.

"A solid two minutes, however if I keep striking her it can stack up." Kaden answers with determination in his eyes. He wasn't going to lose a fellow member to a guild that picks on his friends.

"If injured, you want Wendy and me to take care of Natsu while you guys ward off the enemy. If they come near, I will protect Wendy and Natsu." Adora states as she turns to Wendy then gives her a reassuring smile.

"Juvia's water body will be provide a difficult for the man with chain magic and I will also protect Gray if he is in danger." Juvia says with an assertive tone as Gray shyly looks away from Juvia.

"You have a bodyguard." Kaden whispers as he gives Juvia a warm smile.

"And I will attempt to ward of the girl with sound magic. I have faith in my celestial spirits and myself." Lucy adds as she hope Natsu is alright but she can't shake that nagging feeling that something wrong.

"I'll deal with this illusion mage, let's move and try to find this guild." Erza says as a few townspeople let out a scream.

The group turn their attention to a bright fire spewing out from the corner of the quiet town. A warm smile spreads across Lucy's face as she knows that he's still kicking.

"That idiot is always overdoing it." Gray laughs as he begins to run towards the scene.

Soon the group begins to follow suit as the adrenaline flows through their body as they wonder what they will encounter inside this guild. Kaden is as pumped as ever as he tries to out run Gray to finally start fighting. However, Adora's nagging feeling in her stomach is becoming a nuisance as she hopes it isn't too late for Natsu. Another shriek from the townspeople causes the group to look up to see purple flames coming from the guild.

* * *

Natsu P.O.V

It was sudden and blurry as my back is glued to the metal door from the room. I can't move and it's hard to breathe… _pain._ That's all I can feel right now, my back is bruised and hopefully not broken. My saving grace was turned against me and I know she took damage because her guild members are looking at her worriedly as she slowly emerges from the room. Her face is burned and her dress is scorched from the bottom and leaving her chest almost exposed.

She endured the attack but managed to take in some of my flames and used it against me. I can't clench my fist but if I could I would slam my fist against the floor in utter frustration. I didn't want them to come here, I don't want them to get hurt and now I can't help them. Bellona walks towards me as she rips off a piece of her scorched dress revealing her burned thighs.

"Backed against the wall like a wounded animal." Bellona laughs as she stares at me.

"Heh, soon you'll be back against the wall." I laugh with the little energy I have left. Bellona removes her ruined red heels then throws them aside.

"Peaceful or agonizing?" Bellona ask as I weakly look her in the eyes.

"I won't give you the satisfaction of killing me." I grunted as the pain radiates across my chest. Instead of being angry, she smiles at me lovingly and I turn my head away from her. She grasps my cheeks and forcibly turns my head to face her; a small action like this felt like a magic bullet hitting my chest. She places her hand on my forehead and I feel the pain but it isn't as intense.

"My perfect opponent." Bellona whispers as she places her pointed glove on top of my chest.

"Sleep well, Salamander." Bellona whispers as she is about to penetrate through my chest she looks down to see a dagger sticking out of her chest. I turn slowly to see where the attack came from and I see my friends racing towards here.

"Bullseye!" Kaden shouts as he enters the guild with a smile on his face then looks at me. Achilles and Drake guard Natara in case another attack came in.

"Man, you look like a million jewels." Kaden teases as I give him a soft laugh.

"I feel like a billion." I quip as Kaden walks towards Bellona and extracts his dagger. Kaden quickly attempts to strike again but Bellona dodges the attack then glares at the new guest.

"Now you're pushing it." Kaden says as Wendy runs towards me with a worried look.

"Don't push yourself, alright?" I plea as she smiles

"Don't worry I have another pair of hands." Wendy says as she begins to heal me. I look at Adora walking in and immediately changing into a light pink armor covering her arms but leaves her hands exposed. Her chest plate has a caduceus emblem in the center of her chest with a matching light pink armor skirt. She has a thin white socking under her skirt with thigh high light pink armor boots. Her hair is in a loose bun and her right hand holds a sliver sword.

"Natsu." Lucy says as she looks me and I give her a soft smile.

"When we get out of here, I'll hear what you wanted to say to me." I declare as she gives me her warm smile.

"Sounds good." Lucy answers as I close my eyes.


	6. Chapter 6: Round Two

**So sorry about the long wait but finals were around the corner and i'm currently taking a break from one to then study again. Oh, my friend, LuffyxJuvia21 will be writing a Fairy Tail AU soon and hope you guys will stick around to read it. Anyways, thank you for reading and being patient, so I hope you enjoy this story! :)**

Regular story line: Arcane Eclipse

Bellona feels an emptiness inside her as she glares at the newcomers. She feels her magic is being blocked, so she will have to kill time until it comes back. She watches Erza dash towards Achilles while wearing her flight armor. Lucy changes into her Leo Star dress with Leo accompanying her for extra support. She races towards Natara feeling the anger in her body fueling her determination to take down this guild. Natara swiftly evades both Leo and Lucy's attacks and begins to smile.

"I always loved two against one." Natara coaxes as she releases a small burst of sound from her mouth that Leo dodges. The burst destroys a set of chairs near the entrance.

"She has a great pair of lungs, Lucy. Please be careful." Leo warns as Lucy nods her head.

"Same to you." Lucy says as they both begin to dash towards Natara. As Drake is about to assist Natara, Juvia appears in front of him with a sly smile.

"I'm your opponent not them." Juvia says

"Out of the way! Drake shouts as he releases a chain that is supposed to wrap around Juvia only to go through the water mage.

"What the?" Drake questions as Juvia uses water cane to strike Drake on his cheek causing him to recoil his head back.

"You picked a war with the wrong guild." Juvia warns as she looks back to see if Gray is okay.

Bellona stares at an unconscious Natsu being healed by Adora and Wendy; she attempts to move towards them only to be blocked by Kaden and Gray.

"I'm afraid this is as far as you go." Gray threatens as Kaden swiftly moves pass her and slashes her thigh. Bellona turns her head and slashes him with her pointed finger gloves.

"I always liked a strong opponent." Kaden quips

"I always liked my opponent dead." Bellona retorts as she tries to analyze for an opening but so far there is none.

"Guess this isn't your lucky day." Kaden says as Gray uses Ice make: geyser to cause Bellona to lose balance and giving Kaden openings to keep subduing her magic.

Adora focuses all of her power to find the cause of her uneasiness and feels an overwhelming amount of fear right now. Something isn't right as the battle wages on and Natsu isn't showing any signs of moving and his breathing is slow. Adora's eyes widen as she find the source, it's a tumor but how? The tumor feels massive as she attempts to shrink the size of it while removing the toxin in his body. Adora looks over at Wendy, Carla, and Happy patiently watching for Natsu to open his eyes but if they got here a minute later, they would have to have to wait a lifetime for him to open them.

"Wake up, please." Adora whispers as she feels the unconscious mage fighting for life or death.

Bellona still feels her magic being put on hold but she is still able to fight Gray and Kaden. Something in their eyes is unsettling just like when she fought Natsu. There's fire and so much determination just to bring that boy back. Bellona looks at Kaden's movements and swiftly grabs his wrist holding the dagger. She stares at him trying to read him but there is nothing but pure anger and passion fueling him. She stares at the guild mark on his neck and smiles.

She hears Gray coming in closer to her as she lets go of Kaden then drops down to the ground and swiftly kicks Gray causing him to tumble. He uses this opportunity to freeze the floor. Bellona struggles to keep balance while Kaden sweeps her feet of the ground causing her to fall on the icy floor. Her head is radiating with pain as she feels a trickle of blood flowing down her scalp.

Gray makes an ice hammer then as he is about to strike down on Bellona, Drake releases a second chain that coils around Gray's leg. Drake pulls the chain causing Gray to lose balance thus dropping the hammer. Bellona feels a small amount of magic returning back to her body and grins. She raises her fist then slams hard against the ice floor causing it to shatter bits and pieces.

"I'm tired of this game." Bellona whispers as she lets the small amount of magic swims in her veins.

Lucy glances back at Natsu to see he's not moving still. Her heart feels heavy seeing he in that state but reality comes back when Natara sneaks up past Leo then strikes Lucy's ribs hard. Lucy bright warm light emits from her hand as she strikes Natara's abdomen.

If he dies, you're all going to regret laying a hand on him." Lucy warns

"That's my girl!" Leo mutters with a smile on his face. Natara gets up from the ground then looks at Natsu, Wendy and Adora then back at Lucy.

"All of this for someone who may or may not feel the same way for you." Natara retorts as Lucy grits her teeth then clenches her fist; she feels a warm hand on her shoulder then looks to see Leo staring at her to calm down.

"Breathe, Lucy, calm down." Leo advises as Lucy glares at Natara then closes her eyes to calm down. If she gets herself angry then she won't be able to think rationally about anything.

"You have no right to talk down about someone's relationship when it doesn't involve you." Lucy says calmly as she tries to remain her composure.

Adora looks at Natsu's face to see it contort from something. Could it be pain from the healing? Natsu heard what Natara said which is worse than the pain from the battle or the toxin. He cares for Lucy more than anything in this world but he can't move the way he wants to. He sense a deadly aura taking over this room slowly and knows where the source is.

Erza nimbly avoids Achilles attacks even when he tried to use mental purgatory, she easily disregards it. Her fighting spirit is far superior than what he expected as she strikes him with ease. Her quick movements provide him little time to find her weak spot. Bellona get up as her magic energy swirls inside her body. She sense the two men running towards as she glares at them with her amber eyes.

Her body is scalding and her head is throbbing but she feels more alive than ever. Gray stops to make a bow and arrow to aim it at Bellona before she moves from her arrow flies toward Bellona as she lets out a malicious smile when the same dark aura engulfs the arrow. Horror stricken Gray and Kaden watch two chains coil around Adora and Wendy. The others try to assist but their opponents aren't letting them so easily.

"Who will make it their first? You or my arrow." Bellona growls as she reveals the arrow which is black and emitting a purple miasma.

Bellona releases the arrow as it flies by Gray and Kaden quickly. Kaden attempts to run after it while Gray goes after Bellona. The arrow will strike one person but the miasma will affect the other person. Suddenly, a figure leaps in front of Wendy and Adora as the arrow strikes their arm and they start to smile.

"You think a weak attack like that will be able to kill them?" Natsu quips as Gray scowls at him.

"Hey, watch that mouth of yours!" Gray shouts as Natsu removes the arrow from his arm and breaks it in half.

"Thanks to you two, I can finish what I started." Natsu acknowledges

"You're still weak!" Adora adds as the chains begin to loosen their grip

"Natsu, you need to stay still." Wendy begs as the chains return back to Drake.

"Don't worry about me. Lucy, make sure everyone gets out of her in five minutes." Natsu orders as Lucy looks at him worriedly

"Natsu, please don't push yourself." Lucy pleas

"I'm fine knowing you're here, Luce. You got my back, right?" Natsu reassures as he then looks at Leo then gives him a nod.

"Always." Lucy promises as Leo walks next to her.

"I'll protect her don't worry." Leo reassures as Natsu gives them both a warm smile

Natsu lights up his fist then launches himself towards Bellona and punches her in her stomach. The impact causes her to crash into a wall leaving her with bruises on her back. Natsu enters the hole he created with fire in his eyes.

"Round two." Natsu announces


	7. Chapter 7: I Won't Let Him Fall

**Thank you for being patient with me with this update. We're almost done with this story and I hope you''re enjoying it! I would like to thank my friend for helping me with this new armor and for always helping me with this story. If you have a chance, please leave a review and let me know what you think. :D**

Regular Story Line

Exhaustion flows throughout their veins as the members of Fairy Tail fight against Arcane Eclipse. Lucy and Leo are gasping for air as Natara gives them a half smile. Her hair is tattered and covered with sweat as he glances at Leo and Lucy with a wicked smile. Erza is still able to avoid Achilles but given with Natsu's odd request about ending this match in five minutes leaves Erza curious and worried about his plans. Kaden looks at Erza then back at Adora with a worried look in his eyes.

"You ready?" Kaden ask as he forms a wide grin across his face. Adora looks at him then nods her head. She knows that this armor would take toll on him but he is determined to help his friends out of this bind.

"I'll be okay, Adora. It won't get out of hand." Kaden adds as he smiles at Adora. She looks down at the ground and forces herself to smile.

She knows what happens if he is in the armor for too long and that look on his face is something she doesn't want to see. The anger in his eyes is something that she can't erase from her mind but as she slowly lifts her head up, she sees that same confident smile he bears.

"Trust me, okay?" Kaden adds as Adora nods her head then smiles. She gets up from the ground and gives Wendy her hand.

"Let's finish this." Adora whispers as Wendy nods her head.

"Right!" Wendy shouts as she races towards to Lucy and Leo's side.

"Wendy, are you sure you're alright?" Lucy ask worriedly as Wendy gives her a wide smile.

"Yup!" Wendy shouts as she stares at Natara's eyes.

"A third person? Quite unfair if you ask me." Natara quips as she releases a sharp howl. Lucy, Leo and Wendy dodge the attack quickly as the howl hits the wall causing it to form a hole.

"Perfect." Wendy acknowledges as she notices that the hole is the perfect size to fit one person. She looks at Leo and Lucy then smiles once again. Natara stares at the trio with confusion as she begins to run towards them

"O swift wind that dashes through the heavens...Vernier!" Wendy shouts as a sift blue light emits from Lucy and Leo's feet. A surge of energy fills their body as they both look at Wendy. Leo and Lucy avoid contact with Natara as Wendy prepares the final chant.

"O strengthen of arms to cleave the heavens! Arms!" Wendy adds as elongated oval mass of magic appears on top of Lucy and Leo's arms.

Lucy and Leo dodge Natara then turn their bodies to face her face. Lucy and Leo clench their fist as it emits a bright light; adrenaline flows inside their bodies as they prepare to end this fight. Leo and Lucy punch Natara abdomen causing her fly through the hole she made. Natara passes out from the impact as she lands on the ground.

"You really helped us out, Wendy." Lucy pants as she catches her breath.

"Are you guys okay?!" Wendy ask worriedly as Lucy and Leo give Wendy a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Wendy!" Leo and Lucy say in unison as Wendy feels a sense of relief wave over her.

"Lucy, take Wendy and go outside to watch the enemy." Erza demands as Leo touches Lucy's shoulder. Lucy looks over to see her celestial spirit smiling at her.

"You did well, Lucy. Leo praises as Lucy begins to blush.

"Thank you for your help." Lucy acknowledges as Leo fades back to the spirit world. Wendy and Lucy race back to Natara to see she is still unconscious but alive.

Gray runs towards Juvia and Drake as he prevents a chain from slamming her side. Although, he knows she has the ability to turn her body into water, he wanted to help her somehow. Juvia's eyes widen as she sees Gray slash at the chain with an ice sword. Drake recoils the chain to save the other half then scowls the them.

"As is one wasn't enough." Drake growls as he glares at Juvia then at Gray.

He closes his eyes then open them suddenly to reveal a pair of snake eyes. His demeanor is becoming more aggressive now that he knows about Natara's defeat. He clenches his jaw as his face becomes to contort from rage.

"I'm getting pretty tired." Drake warns as he focuses on Juvia then to Gray.

"Water slicer." Juvia shouts as she swipes her arms to send scythe like blades of water to Drake.

Drake moves quickly out of her range then appears behind Gray and Juvia. He releases a red chain as it loops around their bodies quickly; upon contact, a blazing hot sensation spreads throughout their bodies.

Just as he tightens the grip, a sharp pain emits from his right side. He looks at his right to see a sleek crimson plated armor with black trims throughout and a blood red torn cape flowing gently. A matching armor gauntlets and a fully enclosed helmet with the visage of a demon. All Drake can see are piercing red eyes grow darker as Kaden digs the sword deeper to Drake's right side. The sound of crushing bones fills the guild with fear.

"I'll let go when you let go." Kaden warns as his voice sends a chill down Drake's spine.

His snake eyes slowly fade away and his bravery fleeting from his body. The chain wrapped around Juvia and Gray uncoils. Juvia quickly releases a water cane and smacks Drakes side forcibly causing him to fly through the wall of the guild. The burn wounds around Juvia's arm ache from the last attack. Her soft eyes look at Kaden's armor then nods her head.

"Thank you." Juvia acknowledges as Gray taps Kaden's shoulder.

"You're doing great." Gray praises as he ignores the pain in his arm

"Go outside with Wendy and Lucy. Let her care for your wounds while I take care of Kaden." Adora orders as Kaden dashes to Erza's side. The sound of swords clashing rings loudly in the guild.

"Take care of?" Juvia questions as she senses something off about Kaden. His carefree and easygoing attitude is now replaced with rage.

"It's called Guts No Glory. Once he has that on he can only be inside in for a short while or else he loses all sense of control. His endurance, defense and attack increases but slowly he will lose his sanity." Adora explains as a white light emits from her body then fades away.

"A miko?" Gray questions as he sees Adora wearing a long plated red skirt with a white kimono jacket; the hem of the jacket has a red string itched inside the jacket. She is wearing socks with rice straw sandals. On her back she bears a quiver with a set of arrows with pieces of paper. Her hair is in a loose ponytail tied with a red and white ribbon.

"Hogosha Miko Armor; it means Guardian Priestess. I can seal away strong dark magic and also supress an opponent's magic temporarily. In addition, his armor falls under dark magic so I can remove it from him." Adora says

"Now, please leave before this gets messy." Adora begs as Gray and Juvia leave the guild. Adora watches Kaden and Erza fight against Achilles valiantly.

Achilles shows a small opening as Erza slashes his side then Kaden follows up with another attack. His rage is taking over and his sanity might be slowly slipping. His kind eyes are gone and his smile are wiped away once he has that cursed armor on. Achilles steps back placing his hand on his wound then stares at Kaden angrily.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Adora warns as Achilles stares at her

"Unless you have a death wish then please do so." Adora adds coldly as she stares down at Achilles.

His color is fading as the blood seeps through his outfit. Kaden raises the swords higher preparing to decapitate Achilles, Adora's eyes widen as she grabs a scroll and an arrow from her quiver. It pains her to hit her comrade but if she lets him kill then his soul will forever be tainted with darkness. She removes a ribbon from her hair and ties the scroll to the arrow-she fires it as Kaden's back. A white light envelopes Kaden's body as the sword disappears from his hand. The white light dissipates as Kaden stares at Achilles.

"Whoever you prayed to answered your pray." Kaden quips as he hits punches Achilles in the chest. Kaden wobbles a bit as Erza grabs his side to support him.

"Are you okay?" Erza asked as Kaden gives her his signature smile

"Now I am." Kaden whispers as Erza smacks his head.

"You'll need to control that armor better or else it will consume you." Erza warns

"That's why I have my reinforcement over there." Kaden quips as he points at Adora.

"He rarely uses it unless people he cares about are endangered. I learned this new technique because of him and I assure you I won't let him fall." Adora promises

"We'll work on your armor once we're done here." Erza states as Kaden smiles

"I look forward to your teachings." Kaden teases as Erza helps him out of the guild. Adora walks towards Achille's wounded state and places her hand on his unwounded side then lifts his arm on to her shoulder.

"Can you walk?" Adora ask as Achilles nods his head.

"Why didn't you let him kill me?" Achilles questions as they both walk towards the entrance of the guild.

"I won't let his hands be tainted with blood unless he is aware of the consequences." Adora answers as she sees Kaden sitting on the ground watching Wendy healing Drake's wound. The group waits patiently for Natsu to finish but Adora fears that this could be his last battle. She musters the courage to scream and turns towards the guild.

"We're out!" Lucy shouts as she stares at the guild worriedly.


	8. Chapter 8: I'm All Ears

**Only one chapter left and we're done! Thank you for taking your time to read my story and I hope you have a great day/evening/night. Please leave a review if you have a chance. :)**

 **Inspiration: The Light Behind Your Eyes by My Chemical Romance Me, Myself, and Hyde by Ice Nine Kills**

Regular story line: Arcane Eclipse

Her voice reaches the room as a wide smirk appears on Natsu's face. His hands are itching to fight and his body urging to move. Bellona glances at him and notices a slight tremor in his leg. He's pushing his limit and she knows that but she won't go easy on him. Bellona lifts herself off the ground as she ignores the throbbing pain in her abdomen.

"We're both at our limit, Tesoro. This is our final round, are you willing to end your life here?" Bellona quips as cracks his fingers.

"This won't be my or yours final resting place." Natsu corrects as he launches himself towards Bellona ignoring the pain in their bodies.

Fist collide against bare skin, expose wounds are opening and fatigue is around the corner as Natsu dodges her pointed glove finger. Internally his body is in disarray with whatever is inside his body. His heart is racing and his blood is boiling when he remembers all of those that lost their lives in this guild. Suddenly, he lets out a soft cough only to find blood in his hand. He looks down to see four pointed fingers inside his chest.

His knees are shaking as the stress consumes his body and the spark of light he had is now fleeting. His body jerks forward as Bellona releases her pointed glove fingers from his chest. She stares at the blood on her hands as the blood slowly drips onto the floor. His body is numb, the pain is dull but his senses are still sharp. He grabs onto her shoulder and squeezes it hard.

 _Crack._ Bellona whimpers as she looks into his eyes again to see a different person staring at her. He wasn't human, but a monster as his eyes glow with murderous intent. An eerie laugh sends a shiver down Bellona's eyes as Natsu stares at her again.

"You're not human." Bellona whispers as Natsu gives her a menacing laugh.

"I was 400 years ago." Natsu quips as a bright flame emits from his fist. He lets go of Bellona then punches her right in her sternum. _Crack._ Broken bones were the last thing on her mind as the demon comes closer to her.

"There's only one color I see and here's a hint, it's what's oozing out of my body." Natsu growls as Bellona weakly gets up from the ground.

"Traded a merciful heart for a murderer's brain." Bellona spits as she forms two dark spheres from her hand.

Natsu walks towards her as she releases the orbs. He dodges them with ease then grabs her neck with his hand. Her small neck is in his hand as he tightens his grip hard.

"Mercy was never an option for you only death." Natsu whispers as he drops her roughly on the ground. Bellona looks at his eyes again and they're red like blood.

"How will the people who came all this way to save you react if they see you like this?" Bellona questions as Natsu hesitates.

"What about the pretty blonde mage?" Bellona adds as Natsu stops moving. He wanted to make things right with her as he stares down at his hands to see the copious amount of blood from his wound and from Bellona.

"I… let him out." Natsu mumbles as he stares at his hands with a horror stricken expression. Bellona touches the wall for support as she gets up from the floor.

"No matter how you look at it, you're not human and a danger to society. You lost your right as a human 400 years ago. What's dead should stay dead." Bellona hiss as she regains her composure.

"Now be a good little boy and let me finish what the last person failed to do." Bellona begs as she forms something in her hands. She grabs the top of the sphere then stretches it to form a sharp tip. She grasps the needle firmly in her hand then launches towards Natsu.

Still, in a daze, Natsu looks at Bellona rushing towards him and wonder if he was better off dead. _Stay here with me._ Those words ring inside his head as he remembers that smile and her soft hand reaching out to him. He clenches his fist then dodges Bellona once again. She looks at his eyes and they're slowly turning back to normal.

"I made a promise to someone special to me that I am going to listen to what they have to say and I won't let someone like you break our promise." Natsu shouts as Bellona charges at him with her pointed finger gloves

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu screams as Bellona clashes with a long torrent of flames.

The fire licks her skin as Bellona grits her teeth; her hair is burnt and her body is badly burned. The place that was once a refugee to her comrades is crumbling down and the victor is staggering. He grabs her arm and carries her out of the guild, his eyes are dull and his blood is cool against her burned body.

"I thought you weren't going to show mercy?" Bellona questions weakly

"I am not going to let you be buried with the countless of innocent lives that died here." Natsu coughs as the crumbling rocks fall down like hail.

The building is crumbling as Natsu gets closer to the entrance, his body is unsteady. The bright light blinds him as Natsu collapse he drops Bellona then collapse on the ground. His body is aching as his heart rate is increasing again. He grits his teeth as the pain swallows him whole.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouts as she rushes towards him. He looks at Lucy with his dull eyes then gives her a wide smile. Footstep echoes as they race towards the scene to see Bellona and Natsu badly wounded. Erza carefully moves Bellona away from the building and places her with her unconscious comrades.

"We're out and I'm all ears." Natsu says as he coughs violently. His chest is bleeding profusely as Lucy notices the crumbling building and pulls him away from the building.

"Wendy, Adora, someone please?" Lucy pleads as she covers the wounds on his chest with her hands. Natsu moves his hand on top of Lucy's hand as she turns to him, she sees that same smile he gave her when they first met.

"Never wanted to hold your hand in a situation like this." Natsu confesses as he flinches from the pain. Lucy gingerly lets go of his hand then lets their fingers intertwine.

"I'm so sorry." Natsu apologizes as blood drips from his mouth. Lucy looks at him worriedly then give him the same smile he always gives her. Wendy and the rest of the group rush to their side.

"For what?" Lucy ask

"I… turned into a monster. I became E.N.D, Lucy." Natsu cries as Wendy kneels next to Lucy and begins to heal Natsu.

"She's still breathing and you brought her out. Would a monster do that?" Lucy asked as Natsu bites his lip. The grip is his hand is loosening as Lucy squeezes it to wake Natsu up.

"Just be patient, okay?" Lucy begs as Natsu notices how red her eyes are then he gently wipes away a tear from her face.

"I won't make you cry again, Lucy." Natsu promises as he struggles to breathe for a minute.

"Almost done, Natsu!" Wendy shouts as Natsu notices tiny beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Wendy, please." Natsu begs as he uses his other hand and places it on her cheek.

"You need a break, I'll survive the trip back." Natsu whispers as he slowly closes his eyes.

"Gray, Juvia and I will stay here while we report them to the council while the rest of you take Natsu back to the guild." Erza commands as Lucy nods her head. Kaden lifts Natsu up then begins to leave with the group.

"He'll make it, Gray." Juvia reassures as Gray gives her a soft smile.

"I know, that idiot is too stubborn to die." Gray quips as Erza finds a way to contact the council.

 **A lot is happening in the Fairy Tail manga, so I incorporated what I read here to add it to the story. Hope you're enjoying the story. :)**


	9. Chapter 9: I'm Sorry

**I apologize for the long wait but we reached the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed the story and thank you for reading this far into the story. I appreciate all that you guys have done and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. :)**

Regular story line

Lucy gingerly strokes Natsu's hair to distract him from the pain. He is surviving the trip, but the damage from the fight plus with his motion sickness doesn't give him a pleasant trip. Natsu opens his mouth even though they told him countless of time to save his strength. Lucy opens her mouth to scold him once more until he shakes his head. He touches her hand carefully as he looks into her eyes.

"We'll give you two your privacy, right?" Adora says as she nudges Kaden to leave his seat.

Wendy and Carla follow suit as Happy hops off his seat. Alone, Lucy looks back at Natsu trying to control her emotions. He gives her the same soft smile like always then suddenly frowns.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind, Luce." Natsu apologizes as he fights his motion sickness. He was thinking about her all this time while he's in this condition. Natsu closes his eyes and Lucy begins to panic until he hears him speak.

"I… I shouldn't have left you behind." Natsu reminisces the time he left her for a year to go train. He was reckless and selfish for leaving her behind again when she was clearly upset at him.

"You were all fired up, right?" Lucy mutters as she holds back her tears once again. She doesn't want to cry in front of him.

"You know when you held my hand, I felt a warm feeling inside my chest. I never thought that today would be the day we held hands, but if only it was a better situation." Lucy adds

"How many times have I made you cry?" Natsu mumbles

"Don't worry about that right now, okay?" Lucy begs as Natsu winces from the pain. Lucy can see Magnolia up ahead. She looks back at Natsu to see he is blushing.

"My girl." Natsu mutters as Lucy leans close to his ear and smiles.

"You're my everything." Lucy confesses. She back away and starts to chuckle thinking this is the first time they ever acted like a couple.

She watches Natsu attempting to smile at her comment. As the train gets closer to Magnolia, his lifeline becomes shorter as the toll of the battle take full effect on his body. The more he resist to stay alive, his body fights back with a vengeance.

Happy watches from afar and lets out a muffled laugh. He turns back to the group to give them a thumbs up as everyone lets out a sigh of relief. The train stops at Magnolia as Kaden rises up to go assist Lucy with Natsu.

"Just a little longer, Natsu. We're almost home, okay?" Kaden reassures as he grabs a hold of Natsu, but something isn't right. His above average temperature body suddenly becomes tepid.

"Don't ask questions and go straight to the guild, please." Lucy begs as she sees a worried look in Kaden's eyes.

"As you wish." Kaden says softly as he dashes out of the train. Everyone dashes out of train fighting against time to give Natsu the proper treatment.

Regular Story Line: Guild

The guild is restless as they wait for the rescue team to return from the mission. Makarov gloomy looks at his beverage hoping his brats make it back safely. He received a call from Erza and Gray that the culprits were apprehended by the council. Not to mention, they were willing to let this incident slide by considering they found the infamous dark guild. That piece of good news wouldn't mean anything if he finds out that one of his children come back battered.

The door busts open as Kaden dashes upstairs with Natsu in his arms; he's in bad shape. Makarov takes a sip of his drink, it's bitter. Adora and Wendy race upstairs to where Kaden was and begin to do their best to continue treatment. Lucy pants as she attempts to run upstairs until Makarov blocks her way with his hand.

"Please, let me go upstairs." Lucy begs as the guild avoids looking at her distraught face.

It pains Makarov to see his children cry in front of him, but like any parent, they do their best to protect their children. However, the look in her eyes breaks him. She wasn't there when they found him dead in the forest, a painful memory which will always haunt her. He releases his hand as Lucy looks at him quizzically.

"You should be the first sight when he wakes up." Makarov confesses as Lucy runs up the stairs.

"The eyes of someone in love." Makarov whispers as he takes another sip; it's sweeter. He hears the door open and closes then hopes that this will be their last obstacle to happiness.

Regular Story Line

The bright light emitting from Wendy and Adora blinds Lucy for a moment as her eyes adjust to the brightness. Lucy notices beads of sweat on Wendy and Adora's forehead; their magic is slowly draining and if Natsu found out about this it would kill me. Adora and Wendy step away from Natsu with a satisfied look on their faces. Wendy notices Lucy standing by the door then smiles.

"He'll be just fine, Lucy." Wendy smiles as Adora gives her a thumbs ups. An elated Lucy collapses on the floor feeling a huge weight lifted from her body. She can finally breathe normally now as she looks at the healing duo with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." Lucy acknowledges as Wendy walks towards to Lucy then hugs her tight.

"He always protects us, Lucy. I'm just glad we are able to do the same for him." Wendy confesses as she hugs Lucy tight. Adora and Kaden give each other a satisfied look then give each other a high five.

"Aren't you lucky I had that armor?" Adora quips as Kaden rolls his eyes

"Yes, I am." Kaden says in an exasperated tone then gives her a smile.

"Come on, let's give everyone their privacy while we discuss the future of Team Kaden." Kaden quips as Adora sighs.

"We're not picking that name." Adora retorts as Kaden has his hand on the door knob.

"Fine, Team Nedak." Kaden reasons as Adora scoffs.

"That's your name backwards." Adora quips as Kaden opens the door.

"Oh, now's the day you're sharp as a tack." Kaden quips as the duo playfully continue to bicker outside.

Wendy lets go of Lucy and looks back at Natsu; his body is perfectly bandaged from head to toe. Wendy heads towards the door and opens it to see Happy standing in front of her.

"Is he okay?" Happy ask timidly as Wendy nods her head. Happy's eyes widen as he jumps on top of Wendy.

"Thank you!" Happy cries as Wendy hugs him.

"Remember to thank Adora too, she helped too." Wendy says as Happy nods his head then hops off and stands next to Natsu's side.

"I'll leave you guys alone now." Wendy says as she leaves the room and closes the door.

Lucy gets up from the floor then gingerly walks towards Natsu, he looks so peaceful sleeping on the bed. Lucy sits on the chair and looks at his hand; how can these be the same hands that can knock out any opponent but can hold her hands so delicately.

"Hold his hand, Lucy." Happy urges as Lucy touches his hand, his eyes twitch for a moment. Lucy watches how his fingers intertwine with her as if he knew it was her.

Happy lays next to Natsu's and closes his eyes to rest for a bit. Lucy watches the two most important people in her life sleep in front of her and smiles tenderly at them. Lucy's eyelids become heavy as she lets her head rest on the bed.

An hour later, Natsu slowly opens his eyes to see Happy and Lucy sleeping next to him. He grimaces as he turns his head to face her and smiles at her. She has changed so much since the first day they met. At first he was a bit annoyed with her but later on he saw her true strength flourish. Her love for her guild and friends surpasses his, her ever growing strength, and her kindness have captured him.

He waited for someone like her to come along for a while, but he never expected to fall for her the moment they grew closer. He wanted to treat her right but was afraid to make a mistake. An overwhelming pressure fills his chest as he looks back at all of his past actions and mistakes. His eyes are becoming teary as he squeezes her hand; she lets out a soft moan then opens her eyes.

"Natsu?" Lucy questions as she sees him crying in front of her.

"I'm so sorry for not taking this seriously. This is what makes it alright, your hand touching mine. When you… when you leaned in close to me, my heart stopped. ." Natsu confesses as Lucy remains speechless.

"I don't want to lose you." Natsu adds as Lucy feels her cheek become moist.

"You know you're my everything, but don't die for me. If I lose you then I lose my best friend. I don't want to lose my best friend, my partner, and my future." Lucy says as she lets her tears roll down her face.

"I should have been patient, but I wanted to hold your hand for a while now and feel you closer to me. When you were taken, I thought I lost you again and I'm not ready for that to happen." Lucy confesses as she squeezes his hand.

Natsu uses the bit of strength he saved and approaches her then places his forehead against her. Her eyes widen as she stares deep into his eyes and sees the boy she fell for long ago.

"You won't lose me again, Lucy. I'm yours now and forever." Natsu whispers as they both lean closer.

His lips are soft against her and his touch felt so warm. He places his hands on her cheeks as he kisses her softly. They both lean away from each other as he rubs her cheek gently. She places her hand on top of his and smiles at him.

"Wanted to do that for a while." Natsu confesses as Lucy blushes. Natsu slowly closes his eyes and falls back to sleep while Lucy watches him sleep. After a while, she falls asleep on the bed with a smile on her face.

 _ **The End**_


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